Be Quick!

Kevin Tomlinson, vice president of ONE Sotheby’s International Realty in Miami Beach, recently gained a $12 million listing. “I was the first sales associate to call the owner back,” he says. “In a tight market, the windows of opportunity open and close quickly, so you have to be ready to respond at all times.”

An 18-year veteran real estate professional, Tomlinson has built a large database and uses direct mail to reach owners in the Miami Beach market. “I try to be a conduit of current market information and stay on top of the latest sales,” he says. “But there’s no substitute for being responsive. One of the biggest complaints I hear about other agents is that they don’t answer their phones. So, I really make it a point to take their calls or get back to them as soon as possible.”